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(No Model.) v B; H. TOQUET.

MULTIPLE RULING DEVICE.

Patented Dec mam/ 6w AQ/KW WW ZLW Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN II. TOQUET, OF \VESTPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOGEORGE W. PETTIT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MULTIPLE RULING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,659, dated December17, 1895.

Application filed September 25, 1895. $erial No. 563,640. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 'I, BENJAMIN H. TooUEr, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Westport, Fairfield county, Connecticut, have inventedan Improved Multiple Ruling Device, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple and inexpensivedevice for drawing simultaneously a number of parallel lines upona'blackboard, rough paper, or any surface presentingirregularities.

In schools it has long been a desideratum to have a means for drawing,particularly upon a blackboard, a number of truly-parallel linessimultaneously, as for music-staves or writing-exercises but, owingespecially to the inequalities presented by the surfaces of blackboards,no satisfactory device for the purpose has been produced.

My present invention offers a simple and inexpensive multiplecrayon-holder, which Works efficiently for the desired purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure'l is a perspective view of mymultiple crayonholder for ruling parallel lines. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of one of the crayon-tubes detached. Fig. 3 is a sectional view onthe line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a face view of one end of the device.Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modification. Fig. 6 is a view of a partof the holder on that face from which the crayons project, and Fig. 7 isa sectional view of another modification.

My device consists of a holder A, of wood, metal, or other suitablematerial, provided with as many transverse grooves or perforations asthere are crayons, leads, or other marking means to be carried in theholder. In the present instance there are shown six transverseperforations d for the reception of six leads or crayons B. Thesecrayons are so carried in the holder and the perforations or grooves areso formed as that the crayons or other marking means will severallyyield at their points independently of each other and in a directionpreferably at about right angles to the lengths of the crayons, so thatas the multiple holder is drawn over the blackboard or other unevensurface the several crayons will accommodate themselves to such surface.For this purpose,when perforations a are used in the holder, they aremade enlarged or elliptical at the ends through which the points of thecrayons project, and springs of some kind are adapted to bear againstthe sides of the crayons to press them against the forward side of theopenings 0.. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I have shown the spring as in the formof a strip 5, of metal, hard rubber, or other suitable material. InFigs. 5 and 6 it is shown as in the form of a small piece of rubber 17,while in Fig. 7 it is shown as in the form of a small spiral spring 5 Iprefer to mark the several crayons, leads, or othermarking means intubes B, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 850., preferably split, the upper or back endsof the tubes being secured in any suitable way to the holder A. In somecases these tubes may be simply half-tubes, as indicated at B in Fig. 7;but in such case it will be preferable to line the opposite wall of thegroove or perforation awith some soft material, such as felt, asindicated at a in Fig. '7.

The back edge of the holder A is provided with a rounded rib A or othersuitable handhold for the user to grasp the device to draw it across theblackboard or other surface.

In order that the crayons may be conveniently adjusted to project all tothe same distance out of the holder, I provide movable gages D D, whichmay conveniently consist of swinging legs, pivoted at d near oppositeends of the holder. In Figs. 1 and 4 I have shown the gage as in theform of a stirrup, while in Figs. 5 and 6 it is in the form of a singleleg D. It will be readily understood that by turning these gages to thepositions shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and resting them upon a flat surface,the several crayons can be pushed forward all to the same distance as bya pencil inserted through the backs of the perforations a. Then, uponturning the gages D D back to the positions indicated by full lines inFig. 1 and by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the ruler is ready for use uponthe blackboard or other surface.

If preferred, one or more of the crayontubes 13, with the crayons, mayberemovable from the openings, being normally held in place by friction orotherwise. Thus in the device illustrated in Fig. 1 all six crayons maybe in place for use in drawing lines for writing, while the sixth can beremoved, as indicated in the figure, when lines are to be drawn formusic.

I claim as my invention 1. A multiple ruler, consisting of a holderprovided with a series of crayons, leads or other marking means adaptedto yield in a direction at right angles to their lengths, as and for thepurpose described.

2. A multiple ruler, consistingof a holder carrying a series of crayons,leads or other marking means and springs yielding in a direction atright angles to the lengths of the crayons, &c., to press the lattertoward the forward side of the holder, substantially as described.

A multiple ruler, consisting of a holder, carrying a series of tubes,crayons, leads or other marking means adjustable in said tubes,

and yielding springs to bear against the sides of the tubes,substantially as described.

4:. A multiple ruler, consisting of a block or holder havingperforations, crayons, leads or other marking means, tubes laterallymovable in said perforations and yielding sprin to bear against thetubes, subst-antiallyas de scribed.

5. A multiple ruler, consisting of a holder, provided with a series ofcrayons, leads or other marking means adjustable in the holder, and agaging means to align the points of the several crayons, &c.,substantially as described.

I11 testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BEJJAMIN II. TOQUET.

'Witn esses:

EDITH J. GRIswoLn, IIUBERT llowsox.

